Japanese Internment
8th Grade U.S. History
Nicole Maassen
Bartow Middle School
Directions:
1. First, read the essay question below, so you have the end goal in mind as you complete this
assignment.
2. Second, read the historical background of Japanese internment during WW II.
3. Now look at each of the documents and answer the questions that follow.
4. Finally, re-read the essay question and begin writing your response. Use examples from the
background information and the information from the primary sources to back up your statements.
5. Use the rubric as a guide to understanding what is expected from this assignment.
Essay Question:
Was the United States justified in its policy of keeping Japanese Americans in
internment camps during World War II?
Historical Background:
On December 7, 1941, the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor, a Naval base in Hawaii. The attack
caught the United States off guard. Up until that point, the U.S. was taking a neutral stance toward World
War II. After the attack, the United States was thrown into the war in full force.
A side-effect of the attack on Pearl Harbor was an immediate distrust for people living in the
United States with Japanese ancestry. There was a great fear of another attack on American soil, this
time from within. Steps were taken quickly to devise a plan to protect the country from espionage. That
plan involved relocating Japanese Americans and their families to camps where they could be watched
closely if necessary.
Japanese Americans were broken down into several categories based on how far their
generation was separated from Japanese citizenship. People who had emigrated directly from Japan
were seen to be a more immediate threat than children whose parents or grandparents left Japan.
Japanese Americans who left Japan to come to the United States were often separated from the other
generations, their children and grandchildren. They were questioned as to whom they felt the greatest
loyalty – the United States or Japan.
Conditions in the camps were often not pleasant. Housing was in the form of barracks. Meals
were served in mess halls and were rationed. For the first year or two, many camps did not have formal
schools where children could continue their education. There were often not enough doctors or medicines
to take care of peoples’ needs.
Once the war was over, people were released from the camps, but they often no longer had
homes left to return to. Properties, farms and businesses had been seized and taken over by strangers. It
would be another 43 years before the U.S. government would pay surviving members of these camps for
their losses.
Document A:
The terrific explosion of the destroyer USS Shaw when her magazine exploded after being bombed by
Japanese aircraft in the sneak attack on Pearl Harbor on Dec. 7, 1941
National Archives and Records Administration Public Domain Photographs
1. What does this picture represent?
2. What emotions did the attack on Pearl Harbor awaken in the American spirit?
3. Why might it be important that this was an unexpected sneak attack?
Document B:
"1. The Issei -- First generation of Japanese. Entire cultural background Japanese. Probably loyal
romantically to Japan. They must be considered, however, as other races. They have made this their
home. They have brought up children here, their wealth accumulated by hard labor is here, and many
would have become Amercian citizens had they been allowed to do so. They are for the most part simple
people. Their age group is largely 55 to 65, fairly old for a hard-working Japanese."
"2. The Nisei -- Second generation who have received their whole education in the United States and
usually, in spite of discrimination against them and a certain amount of insults accumulated through the
years from irresponsible elements, show a pathetic eagerness to be Americans. They are in constant
conflict with the orthodox, well disciplined family life of their elders. Age group -- 1 to 30 years."
"3. The Kibei -- This is an important division of the Nisei. This is the term used by the Japanese to signify
those American born Japanese who received part or all of their education in Japan. In any consideration
of the KIBEI they should be again divided into two classes, i.e. those who received their education in
Japan from childhood to about 17 years of age and those who received their early formative education in
the United States and returned to Japan for four or five years Japanese education. The Kibei are
considered the most dangerous element and closer to the Issei with special reference to those who
received their early education in Japan. It must be noted, however, that many of those who visited Japan
subsequent to their early American education come back with added loyalty to the United States. In fact it
is a saying that all a Nisei needs is a trip to Japan to make a loyal American out of him. The American
educated Japanese is a boor in Japan and treated as a foreigner..."
"4. The SANSEI -- The Third generation of Japanese is a baby and may be disregarded for the purpose
of our survey."
Excerpts from “The Munson Report”
Special Representative of the State Department Curtis B. Munson
Michi Weglyn, Years of Infamy, Morrow Quill Paperbacks, New York, ©1976, p. 33-53.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Which of these groups of people is considered the most dangerous and why?
Which of these groups is considered the least dangerous and why?
Why might white Americans fear any of these groups?
Is there evidence here that any of these groups might be a threat to the U.S.?
Is there evidence that any of these groups would likely not be a threat at all?
Document C:
City:
Opened:
Closed:
Peak Population:
Amache, CO
Gila River, AZ
Heart Mountain, WY
Jerome, AR
Manzanar, CA
Minidoka, ID
Poston, AZ
Rohwer, AR
Topaz, UT
Tule Lake, CA
August 24, 1942
July 20, 1942
August 12, 1942
October 6, 1942
March 21, 1942
August 10, 1942
May 8, 1942
September 18, 1942
September 11, 1942
May 27, 1942
October 15, 1945
November 10, 1945
November 10, 1945
June 30, 1944
November 21, 1945
October 28, 1945
November 28, 1945
November 30, 1945
October 31, 1945
March 20, 1946
7,318.
13,348.
10,767.
8,497
10,046.
9,397
17,814
8,475
8,130
18,789
1.
2.
3.
4.
Which three camps were the first ones to open?
Which three camps had the highest peak populations?
Which state had the most camps?
What conclusions can you draw from the map and chart?
Document D:
NOTE: The following is a picture of a poster, taken by Dorothea Lange. Under the picture are excerpts
from the poster. Stars [ ******** ] indicate information that was cut for the purpose of this assignment in
order to save space and time.
Photo by Dorothea Lange.
WESTERN DEFENSE COMMAND AND FOURTH ARMY
WARTIME CIVIL CONTROL ADMINISTRATION
Presidio of San Francisco, California
May 3, 1942
INSTRUCTIONS
TO ALL PERSONS OF
JAPANESE
ANCESTRY
*****************************
Pursuant to the provisions of Civilian Exclusion Order No. 33, this Headquarters, dated May 3, 1942, all
persons of Japanese ancestry, both alien and non-alien, will be evacuated from the above area by 12
o'clock noon, P. W. T., Saturday, May 9, 1942.
*****************************
The Following Instructions Must Be Observed:
1. A responsible member of each family, preferably the head of the family, or the person in whose name
most of the property is held, and each individual living alone, will report to the Civil Control Station to
receive further instructions. This must be done between 8:00 A. M. and 5:00 P. M. on Monday, May 4,
1942, or between 8:00 A. M. and 5:00 P. M. on Tuesday, May 5, 1942.
2. Evacuees must carry with them on departure for the Assembly Center, the following property:
(a) Bedding and linens (no mattress) for each member of the family;
(b) Toilet articles for each member of the family;
(c) Extra clothing for each member of the family;
(d) Sufficient knives, forks, spoons, plates, bowls and cups for each member of the family;
(e) Essential personal effects for each member of the family.
All items carried will be securely packaged, tied and plainly marked with the name of the owner and
numbered in accordance with instructions obtained at the Civil Control Station. The size and number of
packages is limited to that which can be carried by the individual or family group.
3. No pets of any kind will be permitted.
4. No personal items and no household goods will be shipped to the Assembly Center.
5. The United States Government through its agencies will provide for the storage, at the sole risk of the
owner, of the more substantial household items, such as iceboxes, washing machines, pianos and other
heavy furniture. Cooking utensils and other small items will be accepted for storage if crated, packed and
plainly marked with the name and address of the owner. Only one name and address will be used by a
given family.
6. Each family and individual living alone will be furnished transportation to the Assembly Center or will be
authorized to travel by private automobile in a supervised group. All instructions pertaining to the
movement will be obtained at the Civil Control Station.
Go to the Civil Control Station between the hours of 8:00 A. M. and 5:00 P. M.,
Monday, May 4, 1942, or between the hours of 8:00 A. M. and 5:00 P. M.,
Tuesday, May 5, 1942, to receive further instructions.
J. L. DeWITT
Lieutenant General, U. S. Army
Commanding
SEE CIVILIAN EXCLUSION ORDER NO. 33.
Frank and Joanne Iritani; Ten Visits; Asian American Curriculum Project, Inc.; San Mateo, CA; ©1995; p.
9.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
When was this order given?
Who was expected to report to the “Civil Control Station”?
What were evacuees expected to take with them?
How many packages could they take with them?
Were people allowed to take their pets?
What would happen to furniture that had to be left behind?
How would families and individuals get to the Assembly Center?
How do you think this would have affected the people who were being forced to relocate?
Document E:
Camp Amache in southeast Colorado is shown between 1942 and 1945 where 7,000 JapaneseAmericans spent three years in the internment camp during World War II.
Department of Defense
1. What does this picture represent?
2. What kind of living conditions can you depict from the picture?
Document F:
Vollyball, [i.e. volleyball] Manzanar Relocation Center, Calif. / photo by Ansel Adams
Library of Congress, LOT 10479-4, no. 23 [P&P]
1.
2.
3.
4.
Does this camp look similar to Camp Amache?
Do the conditions look better, worse, or about the same?
What do you think the attitudes are of the girls playing volleyball?
Why do you think there aren’t any boys in the picture?
Essay Question and Instructions:
Write a five paragraph essay answering the following…
Was the United States justified in its policy of keeping Japanese Americans in internment camps
during World War II?
Use the answers to the questions for each document and the information in the historical background to
support your argument. Follow the rubric below as a guide.
Rubric:
A:
• stays on topic throughout the essay, answering the question presented
• supports all opinions with historical and primary source information
B:
• mostly stays on topic and answers the question presented
• supports most of the opinions with historical and primary source information
C:
• strays somewhat from the topic and original question given
• uses some historical and primary source information to support his or her opinions
D:
• frequently gets off topic and loses sight of the overall question
• uses only a few facts from the historical background or documents provided to support
his or her opinions
F:
• does not answer the question given at all
• uses opinions only, does not support statements with any facts